Scarves Determining what scarves look best on you
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The best thing I ever did, was work with a color expert/specialist to determine what colors look best on me! It's helped tremendously with coordinating my closet and accessories (like scarves).
I like pastels but they don't suit me. I woke up to the fact when the SA at Nice said I should have the Ex Libris en Kimono in the Navy Blue cw. Oh! I wasn't too pleased but I went away and thought about it. I tried other cws but the SA was right. From then on I realised that pastels wash me out, having fair skin, so now I always go for stronger bolder colours. It's not every SA that will tell you what is best for YOU rather than say yes to anything just to get a sale I bet!
Totally agree. I’m thankful I can put a scarf on with my SA there and she will say “oh no that’s not good on you” haha. I like it lol. It keeps me rational!! I could love love a pattern like index palmarum ( spelling), but she vocalized right away her thoughts and sure enough after much more of my own hemming and hawing I concluded the same. I might have bought it otherwise.
And I am the same. I love pastels and they did wonders for me in my youth with my coloring, but now it just washes me out. It has to be bold colors all the way. The softest color I can go is my pink/brown flowers of South Africa. But I have several others that are lighter that I will some day rehome due to unflattering tones.
2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! in words: TWO years later!! I happened to see your comment - I am so sorry for replying that as late.
Actually it's ok for me, I bought the hanging system and enjoy the scarves as a painting.
You are absolutely right, creamy backgrounds won't work for me - crisp, cold white does (hard to find in Hermès scarves, at least this is my impression).
The MP is so hard to replace, there is another CW in magenta/purple that would suit me better but as I have an emotional attachment to this scarf I'll go on wearing it. I figured out how to reduce that "dull" effect by wearing (incredibly cheap) a special pair of earrings. Will post a picture asap. (not in 2 years, promised)!
Ah an, wait, I found some. So, these aren't the best pictures at all, but I found a way to work around, actually 2 ways:
#1 is wearing those extremely cheap earrings that have the exact same color as the scarf has: (picked that pic bc you can see the earrings)
#2 is wearing a black turtle neck and let that be closer to my face:
both won't turn the scarf into a "wooooooooow" scarf but will milden the dull / plain / no contoure /... effect, so it's good for me.
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I think you look absolutely gorgeous!
Take a lot of action shots and buy the ones that work
or variations of the ones that work
IMO only, the silk 90, depending on pattern and color, might easily look matronly, or conservative, rather than
classic chic if you are in the many decades that could be called middle age (where I’ve been for quite some time)
or variations of the ones that work
IMO only, the silk 90, depending on pattern and color, might easily look matronly, or conservative, rather than
classic chic if you are in the many decades that could be called middle age (where I’ve been for quite some time)
Bringing this back again!
I have dark hair, deep brown eyes and fair skin - apparently, according to google and YouTube, I look good in cool, bright colours like purples and electric blue, but I absolutely dislike those colours. Instead I prefer pastels and am eyeing up some scarves (for example Retour a la nature in vert/jaune/rose) in warm muted colours like gold and beige and light pink. Especially as scarves are generally worn next to your face, do you guys recommend getting scarves that match your recommended ‘palette’, or just in any colour and design you happen to love regardless?
I’ve read here that those of you with blonde hair and fair skin opt for pastels and light colours - does this mean I should be going for darker and stronger colours to avoid looking washed out? Although I do wear black and navy, I enjoy spring/summer colours too… and I don’t want to end up rehoming my babies!
I have dark hair, deep brown eyes and fair skin - apparently, according to google and YouTube, I look good in cool, bright colours like purples and electric blue, but I absolutely dislike those colours. Instead I prefer pastels and am eyeing up some scarves (for example Retour a la nature in vert/jaune/rose) in warm muted colours like gold and beige and light pink. Especially as scarves are generally worn next to your face, do you guys recommend getting scarves that match your recommended ‘palette’, or just in any colour and design you happen to love regardless?
I’ve read here that those of you with blonde hair and fair skin opt for pastels and light colours - does this mean I should be going for darker and stronger colours to avoid looking washed out? Although I do wear black and navy, I enjoy spring/summer colours too… and I don’t want to end up rehoming my babies!
I am fair with bleach blonde hair and generally pastels and light colors look terrible on me. My favorite scarves and the ones I wear most tend to be bolder...not necessarily dark but definitely not pastel. When I'm trying on scarves at the boutique, in addition to thinking about whether the particular CW looks nice next to my face in the mirror, I think about my wardrobe and which CWs will fold most easily into it.
I should add that I have no idea what my 'palette' is so I may be totally breaking all the rules or unintentionally adhering to them perfectly
You have to like yourself when wearing the scarf - first and foremost. I love scarves with intricate design and detail (aka Houtin, Theo de Guetzl, etc), but I don't like myself when I wear those - I find those generally too pale for me, too many small details that don't agree with my physique (I am fairly tall and slim). Your choices also have to agree with your lifestyle as well - I personally feel more comfortable wearing bright cashmere shawls that I can wrap myself in and take it off/redrape it when needed - rather than having a small static silk knot around my neck through the day. Also keep in mind that it is one thing to do a mod shot for the forum but it is a totally different thing to actually wear the scarf through the day and feel comfortable. I am also attuned to the fact that some scarves and some knots in particular do have an aging effect - so as much as I like those, I will skip them as I don't want to age myself and look ala Rembrandt auto portrait
. I have a light brown hair, fair skin and light colored eye - and I avoid anything pale, white, beige or light pink for myself as they totally wash me off. I also find that your choice of the scarf could depend on how much makeup you are wearing, your age (when I was 25, I could get get away with wearing any color; getting older makes one more selective of the colors and patters obvioulsy, your choice of clothing, lifestyle, etc.
I love all the scarves on You, more color the better. I think You can wear them all, easily.Now my " won't work for me" scarfs, a few of them I really HAD to have, a few were purchased just for hanging on the wall.
Mind: same day, same makeup, nothing changed. Again up to down: ok-ish to "hell no!"
Picture Scarf my 2 cents View attachment 4934265 View attachment 4934266Nuees imaginaires That scarf I REALLY, and I mean REALLY had to have. Thanks to a dear TPFler I was able to get it. I was hessitant wearing it due to the small items on it, but I realized that the all black background helped. Though one of my most leved scarf, it's not the best I could wear View attachment 4934267 View attachment 4934268L'abre du vent I do felt in love with that design that I bought 2 CWs. One stayed, the red / pink one had to go. When wearing the brown - brick side up, it makes me look very old and flat. the blue side works better for me. Alas, the colors are very muted when worn on my neck, altough the scarf in itseld has beautiful colors
(ok and I laughed as my hausband was making fun of me and moved a little bit)View attachment 4934269 View attachment 4934270
La legend de la ForetMy newest addition. Just for hanging purpose View attachment 4934285 View attachment 4934273Grand prix du fabourg Well, what shall I say... I really bought that for the hanging system, as I knew this won't work for me under ANY circumstances. Too many small details, orange, muted blue, what shall I say... But the real bummer was / is the next scarf View attachment 4934274 View attachment 4934276
Mystique PhoenixWhat can I say... This CSGM has a symbolic connotation (do you say that?) to me. I bought it when realizing through how much *** I went in my life and after deciding " enough is enough". So I had high hopes, that the symbol of the raising phoenix, worn really near to my heart (I know, sounds a little spleeny) would help me raising as well. That was the very last Carre H had, so I bought that, knowing that it wouldn't look good on my. I still wear it, as it really helped me a lot. But it makes me look sickly, pale and tired. (which I was at that time, but... well).
Dear all, I hope it wasn't too much.
And sorry, again, I can't get rid of the last picture. Don't know why. Sorry
I'm only reading this now.
What did you decide?
Go with your skin tone first, hair and eyes last. If pastels and light colours don't wash you out because they harmonise with your fair skin, then they should look wonderful. It's not often we're drawn to colours that are unflattering.
Personally, I don't think any system or what others wear should determine what you look/feel good in. Sets of coordinates don't take lots into consideration. Harmony is only one consideration. If I was always going for so-called 'harmony' I'd end-up looking like a giant peach with matching rg earrings. Corral is better for me because it's not quite as harmonious, but the effect would be ruined if the scarf was too 'ditzy' and blue/teal/turquoise/jade can make me look just as good. I am fair, often the lightest on the gradient of complexion products, but I still have high colour so most pastels do look awful, but so do most neutral tints, if I go light, I go sherbet, not sorbet or ice-cream..
Without seeing you in scarves it's harder to give any more help. I have seen some excellent Japanese and Korean personal colour analysis consults on YT and they were giving best but also best alternatives from across every 'season', not just one. I also noticed, they also went into 'delicacy', 'round', 'angular' and 'strong' facial features when looking at shapes, silhouette, pattern and design regards, folding, print or pattern (not limited to scarves).
Thank you for this thread.
I particularly appealed to
:
@880:
-"...depending on pattern and color, might easily look matronly, or conservative, rather than classic chic..."
@Ashanti_Rose:
- "You have to like yourself when wearing the scarf - first and foremost...
-...choices also have to agree with your lifestyle...
-...a totally different thing to actually wear the scarf through the day and feel comfortable. I am also attuned to the fact that some scarves and some knot in particular do have an aging effect..."
@papertiger:
- "...I don't think any system or what others wear should determine what you look/feel good in. Sets of coordinates don't take lots into consideration. Harmony is only one consideration...
-"...'delicacy', 'round', 'angular' and 'strong' facial features when looking at shapes, silhouette, pattern and design regards, folding, print or pattern (no limited to scarves)...."
In addition to visually determinable characteristics such as complexion/eye/hair colour/face/body shape, I think there is another quite difficult to manifest / to define factor for me: one's individual and personal "type" and charisma.
I particularly appealed to
:@880:
-"...depending on pattern and color, might easily look matronly, or conservative, rather than classic chic..."
@Ashanti_Rose:
- "You have to like yourself when wearing the scarf - first and foremost...
-...choices also have to agree with your lifestyle...
-...a totally different thing to actually wear the scarf through the day and feel comfortable. I am also attuned to the fact that some scarves and some knot in particular do have an aging effect..."
@papertiger:
- "...I don't think any system or what others wear should determine what you look/feel good in. Sets of coordinates don't take lots into consideration. Harmony is only one consideration...
-"...'delicacy', 'round', 'angular' and 'strong' facial features when looking at shapes, silhouette, pattern and design regards, folding, print or pattern (no limited to scarves)...."
In addition to visually determinable characteristics such as complexion/eye/hair colour/face/body shape, I think there is another quite difficult to manifest / to define factor for me: one's individual and personal "type" and charisma.
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That's the most important IMO.
These also have apparent relative systems, most fashionably Kibbe and Kitchener (evolving from Songer and McJimsey, often without attribution) all mostly based on Western interpretation of Yin/Yang.
To me, more useful are semiotics, personal style refs v shared understanding (i.e. personal style v fashion in any given Tic Tok moment) 'volume' or 'silage' of outward displays v inward reflection is more important determining practical and fantastical than which one of seven tribes do we conform to. But all knowledge is good, even if only to dismiss or counter.
The difficulty is magnified by H's limited colour families every season which can make designs work (or not) or chime with us (or not). Colour can not be underestimated, even though I think Hermes has done in recent scarf seasons.
This is not the curation thread, nothing leaves my collection once chosen because if I usually buy new which gives me an option to return something unsuitable (which has only happened twice), But I look at the scarves I have already and try to see if there's a decipherable pattern of 'most worn' or 'preferred' (pattern of choices, not actual pattern on scarf). For example, I've always preferred comic/graphics on smaller formats - Graffiti and Vallee de Cristal 90 exceptions. More 'refined' (serious) new designs on larger formats - with a strange 2:1 focus on feathers and wings
. More traditional equestrian and reissues I don't seem to mind the format. Why? In some ways it doesn't matter, but probably, because graphics and comic designs are more appropriate when I'm not going to work where I'm (trying to be) in a position of authority and trying to be taken seriously. Wings and feathers...a subversion of the everyday, often ugly reality I see and hear about(?) TBC... Underpinning all H designs are mostly fantasy/aspiration elements of our present selves/lives.But things change too. In the last year or so, I have definitely moved away from collecting certain artists (just because the artist(s) created the original) and am preferring to appreciate and wear more abstract prints and neutrals. I haven't worn my mousselines shawl/stole nor my CSGMs, 140s silks as much as twill 90s to date, but I am slowly getting more use out of them. This winter I have been wearing cashmere even over silks. Had I decided those formats weren't for me I'd have to buy them (at double + the prices).
Current prices and going forward are no joke for anyone. Veteran H scarf buyers are at such an advantage with self-knowledge and hopefully a beautiful array of past scarves. The crux is, veterans or newbies, we can only buy new scarves H create for each season. If those don't suit, chime with our essence(s), make us fall in love, we need to literally take stock (of what we have already). What suits us (or not) is of the highest importance.
Such a great point about personal style and how a scarf makes you feel. In reviewing my pile I’m finding that purchases I’ve justified as ‘hole fillers’ are less worn than those that made my heart beat faster on first sight. About the former I think ‘yeah, it’s nice, suitable, flattering’, etc but those seem to languish. Others, even when they’re probably not the greatest colors for me (would that I could ever feel competent in figuring that out, sigh) I wear often, and with a spring in my step. I suspect that projection could make a make an imperfect scarf color wise somewhat more flattering. At least I hope so because I’m wearing that new to me green scarf darn it 